Howard Kalish

Most of the sculptures I make are open: they can be seen through, and the juxtaposition of the forms against each other, and the background, changes as one walks around them. They are also polychrome, and the interplay of the colors, their overlappings and interconnections, also changes. This aspect of my work is dramatically dependent upon the setting. If a piece"works", it seems to do so in most settings, but in surprising and different ways. To me this is most gratifying, since it is serendipitous and unplanned.

I have developed a technique which allows a great deal of freedom within a very solid structure. The sculptures are made of pigmented cement over a welded steel armature, or bronze using a poly chrome patina. The color is an integral part of the sculpture. The cement is mixed with pigment and an acrylic polymer medium rather than water, which increases its strength, durability and resistance to the elements. The resulting sculpture is permanent and virtually maintenance free. The color in the bronzes is achieved through the use of various patinas rather than paint.